1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tool holder and method for holding tools with elongated handles, such as gardening, lawn tools, cleaning tools and the like.
2. Related Art
Storage of elongate tools such as shovels and rakes often proves problematic due to the relatively large size of the tools. Such tools are often stored in garages, sheds or parking areas so as to be easily accessible when required for outdoor work. These type of lawn and garden tools typically include an elongate handle to which an implement is attached, and can include shovels, lawn rakes, leaf rakes, hoes, claws, pick axes, etc. Oftentimes, other types of tools are stored with lawn and garden tools due to their similar configuration. For example, cleaning tools such as brooms and mops are often stored in a garage or shed due to their elongate nature, even though the cleaning tools may be used primarily indoors.
Storage of these types of elongate tools is problematic in that the tools are generally “end-heavy,” that is, most of the weight of the tool is centered at the end of the elongate handle where the shovel head, broom head, etc., is attached to the handle. These types of elongate tools can be stored in a number of manners, with perhaps the most commonly used method being placing the tool on the floor and leaning it against the wall. One disadvantage of this type of storage is that the tools are relatively vulnerable to being inadvertently contacted, and can easily tip or fall onto the floor. Falling tools can cause injuries to people and pets, and can cause damage to property, such as to vehicles parked in a garage. As an example, a user may reach for one tool and, while pulling it away from a group of tools, knock over another tool which may injure the user and/or cause damage to nearby property.
In an effort to avoid these problems, various types of storage systems have been developed for elongate tools. For example, a number of hooks or other holding devices can be secured to various locations along a wall of a garage or other structure. Each different tool can then be secured to its own hook or holding device along the wall. While the tools can be relatively well organized with this type of system, one disadvantage of this type of storage system is that it requires a large surface area to store a multitude of tools. For instance, it is common for the tools in such a system to occupy an entire wall of the garage. In addition, it is sometimes possible for the tools to become unsecured and fall, resulting in injury and/or damage.
Other systems devised include storing the tools in a large container, such as a garbage can or large pail. While this results in a centralized storage system with all tools stored in one area, one disadvantage of this system is that it is difficult to retrieve the tools from the container, as the plurality of tools often become inter-tangled with each other. In addition, such containers are often relatively tall, and shorter-handled tools can be difficult to see and/or retrieve.
Also, in order to remove a tool from the container, the tool must generally be lifted several feet into the air until the lowermost portion of the tool handle clears the container. This can result in the top of the tool contacting the roof of the garage or other structure and may also contact other objects. In may even be necessary to tilt or otherwise manipulate the container in order to identify and locate the desired tool, lift the tool out of the container, and simultaneously avoid contacting the roof of the structure and other objects. Thus, such storage systems generally require a large amount of open space above and around the container to enable storage and retrieval of elongate tools. In structures such as garages and sheds, there may not be sufficient open space above and around a container to effectively utilize such containers.